The workshop will engage scholars and government officials in empirical and theoretical questions about the role of Senate-confirmed appointees in American government. The workshop aims to build a community of scholars working on appointees, and it aims to connect scholars and government officials concerned about reforms to the appointment process. We hope this will be the first in a series of events.

Alexandria Quality of Life Initiative Lunchtime Workshop Series Cosponsored by ACT for Alexandria ■ City of Alexandria ■ Partnership for a Healthier Alexandria ■ Virginia Tech Center for Public Administration and Policy

Eco-CityAlexandria and Community Indicators

Thursday, July 14, 2011

Noon -1pm

Beginning in spring 2007, the City of Alexandria partnered with Virginia Tech’s Urban Affairs and Planning Program (UAP) to design and facilitate a new, strategic collaborative planning process, called Eco-City Alexandria, to create an Eco-City Charter and Environmental Action Plan to guide Alexandria toward sustainability. Eco-Cities are places where people can live healthier and economically productive lives while reducing their impact on the environment. They work to harmonize existing policies, regional realities, and economic and business markets with their natural resources and environmental assets. Eco-Cities strive to engage all citizens in collaborative and transparent decision making, while being mindful of social equity concerns.

This summer Derek Hyra and I are co-teaching the Virginia Tech Washington Semester program – which combines a summer internship in the DC area and one day a week dedicated to coursework and site visits. Here’s a copy of the course syllabus. I’m also the self-appointed Washington Semester 2011 staff photographer. A few pictures from the summer so far: